Love At First Fight
by faxloveslionandlamb
Summary: Max is a dancer. Fang is a punk. Fate brings them together on the dance floor and next thing they know they're falling head over heels in love with each other, but is love enough? FAX! EGGY! NAZZY!


**Max's POV**

I hate waking up early. I hate watching the sunrise because it reminds me of how early I'm up. But I love dance, so every school day I wake up at four in the morning, get ready, get my dance stuff and get to school by five. Then, I get into the building with the special key my dance teacher gave me so I can work in extra practice, and I dance fro three- hours straight. Yes, I know what you must be thinking: _Gross! Then you're sweating and smelly fro the rest of the school day_. And that's true, but here's the thing: I don't care. Dancing is my life. The people who understand that don't care that I'm sweaty and smelly and the people who don't understand don't matter.

I saw The Nutcracker for the very first time when I was six years old and from that moment on all I wanted to do was play Clara. The very next week I was put into dance. I started out with just jazz, tap, hip-hop, and, of course, ballet, but, as I got older, I added in contemporary, lyrical, modern, folk, and latin. When I was twelve I got the part of Clara. My mom asked what my next goal was since I had reached the goal that had driven me for so long and I told her it had always been simply to dance.

I take dance here at school, but I don't really learn anything. I love their dance studio, though. It's really nice and it's where I spend most of my time because my home life isn't really ideal. I've been given permission by my dance teacher to use the studio whenever I want, which is always. It's a lot of trust, but she knows I'm trustworthy. My younger sister Ella dances, too, but not as much as me. She's more into theater and shopping with her best friend Nudge and that's great and all but I think it's a waste of time. I'd rather be dancing. The only other person who even comes close to dancing as much as me is my best friend James "Iggy" Griffiths. He's second in all of the dance classes offered at school and the academy that we attend after school only to me.

"Max," Iggy calls, scaring the bejesus out of me and interrupting my intense thinking period.

"What, Iggy? Can't you tell I'm thinking?"

"You think? I thought you just danced and ate. What do think about? New dance routines? What you're going to have for lunch? Ooo, I know what you think about: Dylan!"

"No, Iggy. I do not think about dance or food or Dylan specifically. I just think. You wouldn't understand. You don't even know what it's like to have a brain. Do you, pretty boy?"

We banter like this for a while and then I finally realize that Iggy must have come here for a reason because he doesn't often interrupt my dancing without reason. So I say, "Hey, Igs, did you come here with a purpose or do you just want to interrupt my dance time and annoy me and further postpone my dance career just for the hell of it?"

"Honestly, that doesn't sound bad. It would be an opportunity for me to catch up with you in dance, however, today I do have purpose. Thank you for reminding me, madam. I have a proposal for you."

"And that is…?"

"Well," Iggy starts in a ridiculous British accent, stroking an imaginary beard. "I have been told by top-secret sources that a new 'club' as you young people call it has opened up on 42nd street downtown and wanted to propose they idea of 'checking it out'. I do believe that is the common term, correct? Yes well, anyways, this 'club' happens to be a 'dance club' and I am of the belief that you like dancing, do you not?"

I laugh and smack Iggy on the back of the head, which is quite a stretch, even for me at my towering height of 5'8". "I'm gong to assume that by 'top-secret sources' you meant Nudge and Ella and yes I like to dance which is why I can't go tonight. I have to practice more. I lost good practice time last night studying for Mr. Killogin's history test."

"Come on, Max… This is practice. You'll be dancing. It doesn't matter where your dancing or what you're dancing. If you're dancing at all it's practice."

I sigh. "It's not the right type of dancing. I need to practice the routine for Madame's class. I have to do it perfectly."

"Max, it's one night-"

"_Two _nights. I missed yesterday, too remember?"

Iggy continues without even acknowledging me. "And it's not like you aren't going to practice the routine at all. You'll be able to practice today in class and you'll be able to practice this afternoon at the academy. Come on, Max. Please? We never do anything fun like this. Can we just go show off a little?"

He knows just what to say, doesn't he? He knows I can't resist the opportunity to show off. "Okay, fine." I give in. "But not too long, okay? I want to at least try to get some extra practice in."

.:LINE BREAK:.

I'm dressed in black crop leggings, a long loose purple tank, and my favorite pair of black Nikes waiting in line at the new club, Waves. Iggy, Nudge, and Ella are already inside. They got here earlier because I spent sometime after class having one-on-one practice with Madame.

A guy behind me taps me on the shoulder and points at the person in front of me who has moved up quite a bit without me noticing.

"Thanks," I say catching up with the rest of the line. He just shrugs. I think this guy must be emo or something. He's dressed in all black. Seriously, from his converse to his hoodie everything is black. It's like he was born to be emo. Even his hair and eyes are pitch-black. But just to make sure it's not something else I ask as politely as I can, "Do you have a problem with talking or something?"

"No," He replies with another shrug.

"Well, you kinda act like it."

He shrugs again and points forward. I've stopped moving again and the line has advanced so much that I'm next in line and I didn't even notice.

"Thanks," I sigh.

"Max?" The bouncer asks.

I look up, unsure. "Yeeah…"

"Hey! It's Dylan."

"Oh, hey!" I exclaim, way too excited. I really need to tone it down or he'll pick up on my crush. So, in a calmer voice, I say, "Um, what's up?"

"Well, I, uh, kinda work here now, like, as a real bouncer."

"Right, yeah. Got that. Um, Igs and company are here if you want to join us once you get off."

"Yeah, Drew'll be here soon for his shift so I can come in after that."

"Sure, um, see you later, then, I guess."

"Yeah."

I reach up awkwardly and hug him before heading in. I can't believe he works here. He's been my crush since the very first time I met him on my sixteenth birthday. Iggy had taken me out to a club (without Ella and Nudge, they were way too young back then) and I might have snuck a drink or two because I was more than a little tipsy and he was helping me get back to my apartment, which was only a few blocks away. Dylan saw us struggling down the street and came over to help us. Iggy said no, I said yes, and, of course, I won. Even though I was drunk I was still Max and no one can beat Max when she sets her mind to something. So, Dylan helped us struggle the last little stretch to my house and gave me the lift I needed to slip back in through the fire escape so my mom wouldn't notice I had left. Iggy said he would wait with me to make sure I didn't die getting ready for bed and Dylan was about to leave when I grabbed his arm and a pen from my bedside table and scribbled my number on the inside of his wrist. Then, I kissed him on the cheek and told him I thought he was cute. I still get made fun of for that over two years later.

"Guess he's not your boyfriend, huh?" Someone asks me. It's the emo-guy from the line.

"No, he's not."

"But you want him to be."

"Look, you don't even know the situation, okay? It's nothing. We're just friends."

"Wait here," he says and heads off to the back of the club.

Normally I wouldn't listen. I don't take well to people telling me what to do, but, for some reason, I wait. He's gone for almost ten minutes and I'm about to ditch when I see him walking back with a petite blonde in tow. She's dressed in a teal crop top, white legging, and white Nikes.

The emo introduces her as Angel. "Hey, I'm Max. Oh, and, emo, I never got your name."

Angel laughs at my bluntly calling him emo and he just looks at me, emotionless, and says, "Fang."

"Ooo, Fang. Are you like a vampire or something? You know, I gotta say, you're a little too tan to be a vampire, Fangles." I say sweetly.

He gives me a glare and says, "Whatever, I'm a nice person, so I've brought over my sister to help you with your boy issues."

"I don't have boy issues!" I yell defensively. "And, I have friends to hang out with. I thank both of you from the bottom of my heart, but I came here to dance with my friends and not worry about things like dance practice and boys and my possible death inflicted by Madame if I don't nail my routine! Just leave me alone alright? Not you, Angel. You're fine, it's just your brother here."

Fang scoffs and says, "Oh, so you're a 'real' dancer, huh? Listen, Max, if you beat me in a dance battle I'll leave you alone, alright?"

"What makes you think I'm a 'real' dancer?"

"Talking about dance practice and routines? Their obvious signs that you're one of them."

"Fine! Maybe I am. What's so bad about that?"

He shrugs. "Are you gonna do the battle or not?"

I think for a second before saying, "What do you get if you win?'

"Are you worried that I'll win, Max."

"No, I just want to know what I'm up against. It'll give me incentive."

"If I win I get my way."

I sigh. Such cryptic answers. I give up and just change the subject by asking, "What's your style?"

"What's _your_ style?"

"Anything. I can dance anything so you get to pick because I have no weaknesses when it comes to dance."

"Pretty cocky, huh," He remarks with a smirk. "Freestyle. You pick the music."

We get on a raised stage in the middle of the club and I tell the DJ to just put something with a good beat on.

I listen a little bit and start nodding my head to the beat as wait for Fang to make the first move. He starts with a simple pop and lock and sidles his way up to me. I turn low to the right, away from him, and slide back through his legs, then, I lean up close to him like I'm going to kiss him or something and push back off of him and do a little popping and locking of myself and a backhand spring.

His eyebrows raise a little and he slides to the center of our space and does the robot before doing a backhand spring into a head spin. Impressive, but nothing compared to my moves. I roll my neck and pop knuckles before running forward and jumping onto Fang. I wrap my legs tightly around his waist and his hands move under my thighs to make sure I don't fall off of him. Then, I unwrap my arms from his neck and bend backwards so the top half of my body is hanging down and my hands are below my shoulders holding up my weight. I unwrap my legs and walk backwards on my hands to the edge of the stage and throw myself off the stage into a back flip. From that I moon walk around the stage and up the stage ramp to bump my hip into Fang. Fang looks at me for a second, as if in deep thought and then slides in and starts to jerk and ends in front flip, which puts him right up next to me where he bumps his hip into mine in a mocking way.

I'm about to show him who's boss when the song ends.

"We've just seen Maximum Ride," He gestures to me, "Against Fang Walker," He gestures to Fang. "Who do you think won?"

The crowd responds with varying answers. I hear Fang and Max yelled at almost the same intense levels of volume.

"And the winner is…" The crowd gets even louder. Trying to squeeze in their answer at the very last second. "MAX!"

Fang shrugs and gives a little bow before jumping off the stage and heading to the bar. I look after him and feel a strange little mix of emotions in my stomach that oddly feel like butterflies. I'm about to go after him for really no reason at all when I hear Iggy yell, "Max!"

I spin around to see him jump up on the stage and wrap his arms around me. "Great job, Maxie."

I glower at him for using my most hated nickname, but can't help the grin spreading rapidly across my face at the praise.

"Max," I hear Dylan call from behind me. "I came into catch the last little bit of your battle. Nice job." He hugs me and kisses the top of my head like I'm a child or something. I shake him off and barely mumble a thanks as I turn back to my friends to talk to them some more. I really don't want to deal with crushes right now. They're so frustrating.

"Max, Max, Max, Max, Max!" Nudge yells as she jumps onto the stage and starts screaming in my ear. "That was _so_ awesome! You, like, totally beat him and then he was, like, totally dejected so he went to go drown his sorrows at the bar and nobody cares 'cause he lost. Ooo, speaking of people loosing things I think I might have left my bright pink lipstick at your house. You should try it sometime, Max. I think it would look really nice on you. Ella and I found this really cute dress at the mall the other day, too, that would look great on you. Remember, Ells? The really cute blue one. You should go to the mall with us sometime and we can pick out some really cute clothes for you. I mean, not that your current clothes aren't cute or anything, but you can always use new clothes. A little shopping spree never killed anyone, right? Actually, I take that back! You can die of, like, anything, honestly. I totally understand why some people are so paranoid! Did you hear about that lady who died-"

"Nudge," I interrupt. "Please, shut up." I love Nudge to death, but damn that girl can talk. I glance up and spot Fang heading out of the club and I just know that I have to run after him. "Hey, guys, I'll be right back." I say and make a dash for the door. I slide in front of Fang just as he's about to leave, take a deep breath, and say, "Hey."

"Hey…?" Is his utterly confused response.

"I just wanted to say good job. I think we were pretty equally matched, I just have more connections. Also, if I did win fair and square, it's just because I've been intensely studying dance since I was six years old. The fact that you held your own against me is a big deal alone. The fact that you and I might have been equally matched Is huge. I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything. I'm just being real."

"No, I get it. You're a 'real' dancer. I thought we already clarified this before the battle."

"Um, right, yeah. I guess we did. I just wanted to say bye. I don't know why. I just thought I should. Uh, so, bye, I guess."

"Right, um, bye."

On their way out Angel hands me apiece of paper and says, "I really think you'll be needing an expert in boy problems soon, Max."

The paper has two numbers on it. One is Angel's and says, _Remember, I'm always willing to help._ And the other number is Fang's.

** I HOPE YOU GUYS ALL LIKED IT! I REALLY LOVE MAXIMUM RIDE SO I WANT MY STORIES TO DO JP AND HIS CHARACTERS JUSTICE. NO FLAMES, PLEASE, BUT I DO APPRECIATE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. PLEASE R&R! EVERY COMMENT COUNTS!**


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